In an article in The New York Times, Gardiner Harris reveals that 28 million children between the ages of 6 and 14 are working in mines, factories, construction sites, shops, and farms in India. This is happening despite laws banning child labor and unsafe working conditions. As a result many kids are getting sick and even dying.

These pictures testify to the suffering.

And so we pray this news for these exploited children . . .

God of Love,
whose compassion never fails,
we bring before you
the suffering , pain, and despair
of the exploited children
of India who are bent over
in black holes two feet
high digging coal.
Barely able to breathe,
they have no helmets
and have stuffed cloth
in their ears.

God of Liberation,
free these children
who live in slavery.
While other children
are learning new things
in school and playing
afterwards with friends,
these poor souls drag
themselves home to
tarp-and-stick shacks
or sleep alone on the
ground after an exhausting
day of work in the mines.
Grant them release
from the endless
nightmare of danger
and dread in the mines.

God of Hope,
we pray that one day soon,
oppressed and exploited
children around the world
will savor the sweet
joys of freedom, simple
pleasures, and the
contentment that comes
from knowing that they
are both loved and lovable.
Amen.


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